Someday
by CaptainPrice
Summary: People drink for different reasons. Some drink to forget. Some drink to numb their pain. For me? I drink to remember. I drink to remember everything that has brought me to this point in my life whether its good or bad because it's one of the few things I have left. It grants powerful hindsight and hopefully someday it will keep me from making the same mistakes.
1. Let Me Tell You a Tale

**Just a side story that I will update when I feel I got the next chapter ready. It's also my attempt of trying to use first person since it's not my default choice, but I wanted to get my feet wet with it. Let me know what you all think.**

 **Legend:**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

My eyes stared down into the drink. I could see my reflection in the undisturbed contents and swirled it lightly. The glass touched my lips and I welcomed the harsh taste of the whiskey as it danced on my tongue. It was still as savory as I remember, but then again, this has been a daily thing for me. I wake up every day, do my mission, and if I have time to kill, I treat myself to the closest bar and indulge in my favorite drink.

Now, if you did not know me you'd probably think I was just some lowlife bum, and you'd be right to think that. But the truth is, I'm not. I'm just another guy that tries to get through his life one day at a time and take the little pleasures in when they come. But in my line of work, those days are few and far in-between, and there was definitely no bright moments in sight any time soon.

Everything was planned out and it could have worked, but she beat us to it. It was all gone. Beacon was gone. Amber was gone. Our chosen champion, gone. And Ozpin…

I shook my head and downed the rest of the drink, slamming the glass back on the table. A rough sigh escaped my lips and I rubbed my eyes.

The Queen put us in a mess. When Beacon was lost, we lost the CCT with it and the last thing people around Remnant saw was Atlas military equipment attacking civilians and Huntsmen alike. Tensions were high and relationships between the kingdoms were strained. No one was talking to each other and no one knew who to believe.

"Hey, I'll take another one." I flagged the bartender down.

The greasy haired man looked back at me and then to my glass. He shook his head and I felt my lips fall in a frown.

"I think you've had enough, buddy," was his cliché answer.

"It'll take more than that to get me drunk. So keep them coming, and don't water them down."

The bartender shook his head and began to fix another drink. While he was doing that, my eyes flicked to my scroll. With a swipe of my thumb the screen came to life and I looked at the time. It was getting close and knowing her, she would arrive right on time.

I pulled out some lien and pushed it on the counter when the bartender set the drink in front of me. He took it and did a quick count before putting it in the register. He came back a second later and pulled the empty glass away.

"So, what's your story?" He asked.

"What?" I grunted back.

"You're a Huntsman, right? I've seen my fair share of Huntsmen come through here, but I've never seen one look as rough as you."

A scoff escaped me and I took a sip from my glass. The sharp taste hit me like a good punch and I felt a slight shudder go down my spine. That was much better.

I chuckled and looked back up at the bartender.

"Let's just say I've seen and experienced everything someone in my line of work can."

The bartender grunted and walked over to the sink to set the glass down and then proceeded to help a new customer at the bar.

I took another long drink from the glass and let my mind wander. Everyone needed to take a break and relax, and right now, that guy was me. My journey had led me from the ruins of Beacon out to the swamplands of Mistral. Not just to keep an eye on Ruby and her new team, but to search for Ozpin. I recovered his cane from the vault below the school, but never found his body. So there was still a chance he was alive, but whether he wanted to be found or not was another story.

Music emitted from the speakers around the bar, settling on a tune telling a story of remembrance. The gentle strums of the guitar carried through the air and the man's voice was smooth. I finished the rest of my drink and rested the glass on the table.

"I'm ready for another."

The bartender was fast with my refill and had it in front of me a second later. I was about to take a sip, but the new presence beside me caught my attention. The gentle scuff of the wood on the floor reached my ears.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to show," I said, not sparing her a look.

She clicked her tongue and gently set her scroll on the counter. When the bartender came to see what she wanted to drink, she quickly turned him away.

"Let's make this quick. Tell me what you found out and we can get on with our night," she said.

"You want to know what I found?" I glanced at her. "Bupkis. Zilch. Nothing."

Her icy eyes narrowed at my retort, but I shrugged it off like I always did. Every fight we had always started off with something trivial like this and if it were to blow up here, it wouldn't be any skin off my nose.

"I should have expected as much from you. You're just a drunk, pitiful old man," said Winter.

"You're not much better, Ice Queen," I retorted.

Her temper was rising and the restraint that she had was diminishing with each thing I said.

"I'm not the one drowning my sorrows in alcohol on a daily basis," she said with a sneer.

"True, but like I said, you're no better than me. You're pretentious, arrogant, and you have this wave of self-entitlement with that Atlas title to go with your name."

A sharp breath went through the specialist's nose and a small smirk came to my lips. She was seething and it would only take a few more pokes to make her burst. As much as I wanted to add fuel to the fire, I really liked this bar and did not want to get banned from it.

With a sigh I pulled out a folded piece of paper and slid it to her with my finger.

"That's all I got for you and your boss," I said before taking another drink. "Run along now, Ice Queen."

I pounded the rest of my drink and shuddered a bit. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Winter taking in every detail of the message on the note. Her icy eyes went back and forth on the main points I wrote down and then fell on a small piece of a map. It was not much, but if they wanted to get anywhere in searching for that woman, they needed to follow Ruby.

"And you're sure of this?" She asked me, folding the paper again.

"Positive. Now, I'd like to get back to my drink." I pointed at the fresh glass.

 _Why is she still staying?_

One would think she'd be clawing at the chance to leave now that I gave her what she wanted.

I shook my head and was about to take another long drink from my glass, but the woman's next question stopped me and although I would not admit it, it caught me by surprise.

"Tell me something, Qrow. Do you feel that drinking solves your problems?"

My eyes rolled and I turned them back to her. Her face was free from any sternness it previously held and was replaced with a look of curiosity. She leaned on the bar a bit, tipping me off that she was not leaving until I answered her question.

"Of course not. But it does a hell of a job numbing them," I said.

Her brow rose just a bit at my retort. I raised my glass and took another long gulp. The bartender came back a second later with a new drink, but not the one I had been ordering all night. Just when I was about to send him back, he placed it in front of Winter.

She gracefully picked up the glass by its stem and took a sip of her wine.

"Didn't figure you for a drinker." My shoulders shook with a light chuckle.

"I'm not, but I do enjoy my wine every now and then." She set her glass down. "So, why do you drink so much? Surely you weren't like this when you were younger?"

"Wow, very spot on with that one."

My eyes flicked down to my scroll. The bar would just start getting busy and I had plenty of time to drink before I crashed for the night.

"I'm serious. What have you gone through to make you seek solace in this?" Winter asked again.

She really was not going to let this go. I rubbed my eyes and mulled it over for a moment. The amount of stories I had that led to this could chalk up to a memoir. There was no way she would stay to listen to all of it.

I swirled the drink in my hand and turned back to her.

"How much time you got?" I asked.

"All night," she said before picking up her glass again. "Start talking."

* * *

 **That's right. First person story with my attempt of getting some form of past with one of my favorite characters. Qrow Branwen. Like I said, this is a side project that won't be too focused on unless otherwise in demand. So this won't be worked on until some other works of mine are finished.**


	2. Family

**Thank you for the support with the follows and favorites, everybody. Also, special thanks goes to Cryocene and MissAnimeMiss for dropping reviews. Hopefully we can see some more of those. I know I can still improve in my writing, so seeing those will help me reach that goal.**

 **Legend:**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter's eyes were still focused on me and she showed no signs of leaving. Now I'll be honest here, I'm not a very personal guy, and that partly has to do with my past to an extent. Only the people I deem close friends or family have that luxury.

"You've got all night, huh?" A smirk played on my lips.

"Don't make me repeat myself," she quickly retorted.

I held up my hands and another light chuckle left me.

"Fine, but if you want me to continue, you need to get on my level."

Her eyes narrowed just a bit and her scowl grew when I lightly tapped my glass. She said she was not much of a drinker, but she sure as hell would need to be one tonight if we were doing this.

"I have responsibilities. Getting drunk is not one of them," she said.

"Then finish that drink and head back to your ship."

Whatever got her out of my hair faster was fine with me. The sharp bite of the whiskey hit me once more and I instantly felt the tight tension in my muscles sag and loosen up.

A light clatter came from my side and out of the corner of my eye I saw the empty glass of wine that Winter had been drinking. She signaled the bartender to bring her another and as soon as he did, she took a large gulp from it. She rested her glass back on the counter and turned back to me, her eyes alight as if challenging me to dissuade her again.

This woman's pride knew no bounds.

"Hopefully you're not a lightweight. You'll be out before I even start the story," I said.

"I can hold my own. Now, start talking."

Every story had a beginning, so I would indulge her and start from there. It would be the first of many tonight, depending how much alcohol the Ice Queen could handle. The whiskey burned the back of my throat when I took another sip.

"We'll start with my family."

* * *

Most people only know of two people from the Branwen family, and that would be me and my twin sister Raven. The Branwen family has always been small with each generation only having one kid, maybe two at the most. We're a unique group of people with our own tricks and history that you would have to see to believe, but I'll touch on that soon enough.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have a twin sister named Raven who is two minutes younger than me. Then there's my old man, Cole Branwen. To wrap it up is our mother Merla.

Dad… well, he was never a simple man. I'm sure I spent half my time wondering what he was thinking about and the other half I just didn't have the balls to ask him. He always had high expectations for both me and Raven, but more for me because I was the older brother. I had an obligation to watch Raven and take care of her which Dad made a point to hit home with me time and again. And like a soldier following orders, I took his words to heart and barely let Raven out of my sight when I was old enough to know better.

If I had to be honest, I think Raven was his favorite. She was always special. She was very gifted, constantly overcoming challenges that kids our age were slow to reach. Just to name a few examples. Raven taught herself to walk within three months, took me almost a year to do that. By the time she was five, she was already studying Aura, Grimm and the philosophy of Huntsmen to begin her path to become a Huntress. Dad didn't even introduce me to it until I was seven, so Raven had a good jumpstart over me.

However, there was one thing that made me stand out apart from my sister in my father's eyes, and that was fighting. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but for me it just came naturally. I could handle a weapon with ease and I could read an opponent like a book. It actually filled me with a sense of pride that Dad acknowledged me, even if it was just a little bit. From that point on, I always strived to show Raven up in physical strength to get praise from Dad, which usually ended with us getting into a fight, but at the end of the day it made us grow closer as siblings. We pushed each other where we fell short.

Then there was Mom.

At the risk of being deemed a mama's boy, I will say that I was closer to her than Dad and Raven. Then again, I guess that's where the phrase "Mama's boy and daddy's girl," comes from.

Anyway, Mom was the best. She was always tentative to me and Raven. Whenever we were sick, she would make us the best chicken soup you'd ever have. If we got hurt, she'd clean it up and tell us that everything would be just fine and that we were her, "Tough little birds." When I couldn't sleep, she'd sit on my bed and sing until I did and even then I'm sure she stayed there long after I did so.

She had more patience with me than Dad did, and that was probably the most friction they had between each other in their marriage.

"You and I both know what they need to do when they're old enough! With the way his growth is now, he'll be the first to kick it!" Cole spat.

"Don't you take that tone with me! He's not Raven, Cole! You can't expect it to be smooth sailing for both of them!" Merla shot back.

"Fine, then you take him! I'm not going to hamper Raven's training because he can't keep up!"

* * *

A small smirk danced at the corner of my lips as I swirled the glass in my hand at the memory. Mom took the challenge and from there it really clicked into place, and I'm sure that rubbed him the wrong way.

Next to me I could see Winter staring back with the smallest curve in her lips. She would probably never let me live it down that I told her I was her exact opposite in terms of skill and growth when I was younger. Of course if we were to go all out on each other now, I'd walk away the winner. With age comes experience and she would learn that the hard way one of these days if that were to happen.

"Your little sister was more skilled than you were?" The mocking tone was clear.

"Keyword there being "was," Ice Queen." I gave her a warning finger. "I may not have been the fastest learner, but I was a better fighter and I got friendlier with the other nuts and bolts when Mom took over my training."

She was about to speak again, but I stopped her. It had been a while since she took another drink. When I pointed at her glass, the scowl that came to her face was fierce. She brought the glass to her lips and tilted her head back, downing the rest of the golden beverage.

She set the glass back on the counter and turned back to me, but I only shook my head again.

"Nope. Get another one, and get something other than wine. You're in a bar for fuck's sake."

"What's wrong with wine?" She snarled back.

"Nothing, if you like being a dull and boring prude. Point is, you're in a bar. You come here to drink the strongest thing they have. So go for something like rum, whiskey, hell, go for the strongest vodka on the rocks!"

Winter clicked her tongue and slid her glass for the bartender to take and her eyes looked up at the menu. Her eyes went from left to right, all the while her frown growing tighter by the second.

This wasn't complicated. Just pick a drink already.

"I don't know what to get." Her voice almost a whisper.

"What?" I quirked a brow.

"I said I don't know what to get!"

I blinked and had to resist laughing. The flush on her porcelain face was priceless and I knew it wasn't the alcohol that was causing it, at least not yet anyway.

"You've never had anything outside of wine, have you?" My teeth poked out in a wicked grin.

The flush grew at the jab and confirmed my words. Her hands formed into tight fists, shaking in anger from humiliation.

"Oh, that's beautiful!" I laughed taking a sip from my glass.

"Well, excuse me. Father said anything outside of wine was distasteful and not appropriate for women."

Ah, that… would make sense to a degree. This was the woman that was supposed to be the heiress to SDC at some point before it went downhill and got passed on to her sister. No doubt her old man would have her primed in proper etiquette and all that shit.

Usually I didn't feel much pity for Winter, but this time I was willing to give her a pass. It didn't help that she most likely never went out on her free nights to live a little, either.

I took another drink and carefully scooted my chair closer to her, the screech of wood garnered her attention. Her narrowed eyes fell on me and she folded her arms. Her defenses were up and it would take a rein on my teasing to lower them again.

"Okay, let me give you a quick rundown." My eyes drifted up to the board. "In bars you have a lot of hard liquor to choose from. You can order those on the rocks which is just a glass of that drink filled with ice. You also have mixers which involve using other soft drinks or juices to make the drink easier to go down and taste better. Then again, you could also go for a plain beer. Nothing wrong with that."

The small shift in her arms came and uncrossed. She nodded and looked back up at the board again, trying to use the quick knowledge I gave her to make a decision.

While she was doing that, I took another long drink from my glass and looked her up and down. If I had to make an assumption, she seemed more like a vodka or rum kind of woman. Whiskey had a harsh kick to it and it took time to get used to, so that was out of the question.

"Try a vodka cranberry." I signaled the bartender.

When the man came over, I nodded at her and she snapped to attention.

"Could I have a vodka cranberry, please?" She asked.

The bartender nodded and set down a fresh glass.

I watched Winter from the corner of my eye as her drink was fixed before her. First came the ice, and then the vodka.

A light chuckle escaped me when her eyes widened just a bit from the amount poured in, and even more so when she gave me a heated look. A third of a glass was not that bad, in fact it was pretty tame. A lot of bars tend to do all alcohol with a quick double shot of mixer, she was getting it easy.

Her eyes then landed on her drink again and perked up slightly when the cranberry juice was added, turning it a nice strawberry red. One third alcohol and two thirds juice. I'd have to see where she stood after this drink.

Once she paid the bartender for the drink she picked up the glass and examined it closely.

"Cheers." I held my glass up towards hers.

"What?" She looked back.

"It's a toast. You know, the thing you wealthy people do when you want to commemorate something important."

Her eyes hardened just a tad at the sarcastic poke before she lightly tapped her glass to mine. A small clink and the both of us brought our glasses up.

The last of the whiskey traversed my throat and sent a tingle down my spine. Time for a refill.

As if on cue, another one was placed in front of me. This bartender was definitely getting a good tip tonight if he kept the service up.

I gave him a quick nod and turned back to Winter to see how she took the drink. Imagine my surprise when I saw the drink was gone. She either was able to tolerate it well or she had no idea how to pace herself. Her mouth was open just a bit and she looked ahead with a gaze of contemplative wonder as the aftertaste danced on her tongue.

"Well?" I asked, snapping her from her daze.

"It tasted great," she admitted with a rare smile. "I will have to order another one."

"Good, but for the love of god, pace yourself. You can't slam those down. They're made to be savored and taken slow."

"Duly noted. Now, I believe it's your turn to hold your end of the bargain."

I rolled my eyes and waited for the bartender to give her a fresh vodka cranberry before continuing.

"Right, where was I now?"

* * *

So, Mom's guidance was what it took for me to start catching Raven. Fast forward a few years, age thirteen and we're just a couple of months out from starting at Signal Academy. Mom and Dad have taught us everything we know and it's time for us to start down our own path to become Huntsmen. For any normal kid that aspired to be a Huntsman, this would be like a dream come true, but for me and Raven it was a little different.

Sure, me and my sister had different views on philosophy and excelled in our own skills, but we did share two things. Outside of being very analytical of a situation, we both were able to sense when something was off.

Now, imagine our surprise when Mom and Dad come up to us one day and say we are going on a family mission.

Here's the thing. Whenever Raven and I did missions that our parents assigned us as tests for our skill, they usually tailed us and would intervene if we ran into a snag. So for all of us to go out and do one together, it was kind of a red flag. I can still remember the look Raven gave me when we were leaving the house.

My sister was never one to show fear, she created it. She always had this intimidating vibe with her stride that carried nothing but power and confidence whenever we were around other kids in the neighborhood. You add that to our genetic red eyes, it was easy to do. I'm sure she got that from Dad after spending all that time with him. So when I saw those confident eyes filled with uncertainty and a tint of fear, I knew that whatever was going to happen that day would change us.

"I don't like this," Raven whispered to me. "Dad and Mom have been acting off for a while now."

"I know what you mean. Do you think this is a test to make sure we're ready for Signal?" I looked back.

My eyes did a quick shift back to Mom and Dad as they walked ahead of us. Neither of them spoke a word and their heads were just inching around enough to check their flanks for any lurking Grimm… or whatever else they may have been keeping an eye out for.

Raven shook her head, her long locks bouncing with each sway. Her brow furrowed and her eyes bore into the ground as we walked.

"I want to say yes, but it feels too outlandish. I mean, look at them," she said.

She did have a point with that one.

"You see it too, huh?" I looked to my left. No Grimm in sight as of yet.

"Of course I see it!" She hissed. "I've never seen them like this before, and you know how strong they are. They may be wary of Grimm, but they can handle them with ease. They're looking for something else."

"Looking for what, though?"

"Exactly. What."

A chill went down my spine when she said that.

Like I mentioned before, our family is small, but our name is well known among the Huntsmen. The Branwen family were fierce fighters and our parents were the epitome of that. They carried themselves with grace and fought with a vengeance that could only be seen to be believed.

Whether it was stories of Dad being able to take on hordes of Grimm at a time, rending their flesh and cutting them down like a ghost from beyond, or Mom's long and deadly blade that could kill a giant Nevermore or Deathstalker with one blow. These stories could easily be tall tales and exaggerations, at least until you saw it with your own eyes. I know Raven and I were skeptical about it when we started hearing about them from some of retired Huntsmen.

We were both stunned out of our minds when we saw it for ourselves the first time we each ran into trouble. It was the coolest and most terrifying I had ever seen in my life at the time. You think you know your parents, but when you see what they are truly capable of, it makes you glad you're not on their bad side.

"Look, if Mom and Dad are with us we'll be fine. They can take on anything," I tried to assure her with a hand on her shoulder.

She swatted it off and glared at me.

"Only until they meet the thing that's stronger than them," she said.

Talk about negative, right? I try to be the comforting big brother and I get shot down in flames. I'd be lying if I said her words didn't carry truth.

I shook my head and sighed. Sometimes there was just no reasoning with Raven. She was stubborn that way.

"Qrow, I'm sorry," she said, her eyes meeting mine. "I know you're trying to help, but I can't shake this feeling. I don't know how to explain it, but I know something's going to go wrong."

I smiled at Raven and my hand resumed its position on her shoulder. My fingers dug into it as I gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll be fine, you'll see. Stick close to me and I'll keep you safe. If we get separated, call for me and I'll find you."

For a fleeting moment, I actually believed my words. The delivery was filled with arguably the most confidence I ever said to Raven on something I firmly believed in. Deep down, I could not deny it. It was gnawing at me from the inside and it had me on edge. Everything that can and could go wrong was going to go wrong in some way today. She felt it and I did, too.

Despite that, I kept up my front and a wave of relief met me when I saw her lips curve up in the smallest of smiles. It was a rare thing to see her smile as we got older, normally reserving it for some degrading thing that happened to me. Spending all of that time with Dad had more of an impact on her than I could have imagined and she was almost a copy of the guy in terms of personality, but thankfully she still had some individuality.

"Okay. I trust you," she said.

My hand fell back to my side and my eyes turned back out to the fields around us.

Our walk had led us towards the Mistral border. The familiar farmland of Vale's countryside slowly diminished and was replaced with more trees as we got closer to the forests.

Forests and swamplands were a Grimm paradise. No junior Huntsmen were given missions to those spots for the high level of danger. Being accompanied by veterans was the only exception, but even then the most experienced group of Huntsmen liked to avoid the area. It was too unpredictable and the swamps alone were labyrinths that stretched for miles.

Getting lost in the cold, murky quagmires was the biggest killer. The conditions could change quickly and best everyone who had a poor sense of direction. The misery it brought bred negativity and with that came Grimm, and they came by the dozen.

By the time we reached our stopping point, it was dark. The moon was out and gave us all the light we needed to continue, but before we could, Dad had us gather around.

"I'm sure by now you two figured out this isn't a normal mission," he said.

Raven and I only nodded back, not trusting our words at the moment.

"This isn't a test to see if you're ready for Signal, either. You two have been ready for a long time," he continued.

"Then why are we out here?" I finally found my voice.

Dad's red eyes met mine. They did not carry the intimidating or critical look they always did, but it was one of the utmost sincerity.

"Qrow, our family has many secrets. One of them is that we have been in service to a group that does everything it can to ensure Remnant remains in order. This goes back further than you can imagine," said Dad.

"And the mission is our initiation into this society, isn't it?" Raven crossed her arms.

Dad only nodded back.

"Then why wait until now to tell us about this? What exactly are we doing?" The questions began leaving my mouth like rapid fire.

A firm look from Dad stopped me from spewing more out. Mom stepped forward and put a hand on each of our shoulders.

"We will tell you more when the time is right, but before we do that, we need to be sure you're ready. This mission will be our way to determine if you are ready for this or not," she finished for Dad.

Raven and I exchanged looks. That gnawing feeling in my stomach returned full force and its claws slowly began to climb from the pit of my stomach and into my chest. This mission was not a simple search and destroy kind.

"We are looking for a man and a woman who are believed to be responsible for the destruction of a town in Mistral," said Dad.

"We're going to kill them?" I asked, thrown off when he revealed our targets.

Dad just nodded at me.

I shook my head. This did not make sense. Why do we have to be part of this society if we're training to be Huntsmen? Was there a way to prove that these two did what they did?

"Believed to have burned down a village?" Raven repeated, voicing my thoughts in turn. "How do you know they did?"

"Our leader oversees everything. He knows everyone and everything," Dad answered her.

I could not find the words to talk back to that. Not just in fear from starting an argument with what we intended to do, but more because of this leader. How could a guy know so much?

It could not be dismissed either. Dad never was one to be a bullshitter and the fact Mom did not say anything only sealed it. Everything they said was true. Talk about creepy, right?

"This is what we know. Their house is a couple miles down the path here. Both of them are strong and there are a lot of Grimm in the area," said Dad.

This was really happening. Now that the icebreaker had passed, it was time to get to work.

"When we do this, we cannot let them run. They know this territory and can shake us with ease," said Mom.

"Remember your training. Keep your emotions under control to avoid drawing Grimm. The more factors we have to account for will lead to mission failure and death," said Dad.

Once again, Raven and I could only nod. We were in too much shock with what was about to happen and for good reason.

I looked at Raven from the corner of my eye. Her head was bowed and her hair served as a veil for her face. I could not see what she looked like, but I had a hunch that her face was white with surprise if the subtle shake of her hand was a giveaway.

"Raven will be with me. Qrow, you will go with your mother and take care of the woman," Dad continued before stepping up.

He motioned for Raven to follow him. She took a half step forward, hesitated, then marched towards him. This time I was able to get a clear look at my sister's face and it only made me more fearful for what would happen.

Her stare was distant, as if looking off into a void. She walked with the same confidence she had, but I could tell it was fake. Her mind was on autopilot and she did not spare me, Dad, or Mom a look. She even flinched when Dad put his hand on her shoulder and led her down the dirt trail.

I made to go after her and tell her that everything would be fine, but my legs betrayed me. My feet were rooted to the spot and my arm was reaching out for her retreating form. My mouth opened and I felt my throat close shut.

 _You're her brother! Let her know everything'll be okay!_

I closed my hand and felt my knuckles pop from the stress as my fist shook.

"Raven, remember what I told you!" I said.

She stopped cold. I waited for her to turn back to me. I inwardly begged her to look back at me so I could see her face. See her smile. If I could just see that, it would give me some peace of mind.

When she did not turn back, my heart sank. Her shoulders were stiff as a board as she stood up straight and gave a nod before she and Dad started to move again.

I felt heavier with each step Dad and Raven took down that path. By the time they were out of sight, I did not have the strength to move my legs. I'm sure that if Mom did not start pulling me the other way I would've sunk into the ground.

"Come on, Qrow. We need to move," she said softly.

My head bobbed with a light nod and I dragged my legs to keep pace with Mom. They were heavy, almost like they were filled with wet sand. Gentle splashes met my ears as our feet stepped on the waterlogged grass.

"They'll be fine. They're strong enough to handle this." Her hand squeezed mine.

My head shook from side to side, dismissing her words. I did not have to look at her to know that there was a frown on her face.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Even if we did make it out of this, there was no way we wouldn't have some scars.

* * *

The music in the bar met my ears once more, this time in the form of a rock ballad. Steady strums filled the air and drowned out the boisterous voices that grew louder with each drink. Seemed fitting for where the story was about to go.

The cool glass felt like ice when it touched my lips and I took a long gulp. I had been telling Winter the story and was not sure how she was taking it. Of course I omitted bits and pieces and downplayed some parts since it had some classified bits in it. Whether or not she could connect the dots to what I was saying was another story.

My fingertips rubbed my eyes and I turned back to look at the woman beside me.

Her mouth was agape once again as if she were trying to find the words to say. The piercing look her eyes usually had softened into a mixture of shock and empathy. She swallowed and her hand went for her drink.

"Your family went to kill these two people?" She asked.

"That's right," I said, my face blank.

I relived the story time and again in my dreams and whenever I drank, so I can talk about it without too much difficulty, but it still hurt something fierce. It hurt worse than the hangover that would be with me tomorrow. Almost as bad as having your heart broken by the woman you loved.

Winter took a drink from her vodka cranberry and slouched on the counter. The alcohol definitely made her relax. Her posture was not as stiff like it was earlier. It was refreshing to actually have a nice conversation with the high-strung woman.

"What happened next?" She asked.

I blinked. She still wanted to stay after all of that?

"You sure you want to know? It gets worse from here on in." I warned her.

Her answer to me was a curt nod and she drank from her glass.

"I want to know what happened to all of you on that mission. Bear in mind I did tell you I have all night and I want to know why you are the way you are."

My shoulders bounced in a light shrug and I took another drink of whiskey.

"Fair enough, but I'm not taking the rap for any trauma this may cause you."

She rolled her eyes and traced a small circle with her hand, telling me to continue.

I swirled the whiskey around in my glass and leaned forward to rest my arms on the counter. If she wanted to know about it, then I'd tell her, but I did not lie to her about what I said.

 _You brought this on yourself._

* * *

 **So, we'll end it there for now. Like I said, I'm not used to first person, so this is an experiment for me in this point of view. The advantage I see is that we can see further into a character, but it's a pain in the butt trying to work with tense and sentence structure. That's where all you wonderful readers come in! Pitch in and give me some pointers! Tell me what you liked, didn't like, things that could be improved, all that jazz. With that, I will see you next time.-CaptainPrice**


	3. Broken Glass

**Hey, everyone. Thanks a bunch for the continued support with the follows and favorites. As thanks, here's a new chapter for you all. Be sure to drop a review and give me some feedback. I really want to make this story enjoyable for you all and improve, but I can't do that if you don't say anything. Now, let's get to it!**

 **Legend:**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Right, so Mom and I went the other way to cut off the family we were hunting down in case they tried to make a break for it. Raven's blank face was still engraved in my mind and it terrified me. Sure, she was calm and collected when it came to missions and even more so when fighting the creatures of Grimm, but fighting other people? This was weighing heavily on her and if she was not careful, it could be deadly.

"Qrow, look." Mom pointed from our perch in the trees.

We were overlooking a large clearing in the woods. I looked to where she was pointing and saw a lone figure burst from the tree line on the other side. The woman was probably around my height. Her long dark hair flowed behind her as she continued her dash across the field. It looked like she was carrying something in her arms, but I could not tell what it was from my position.

A small grind of steel met my ear as Mom drew her blade, and out of the corner of my eye I could see its crimson color reflecting in the sunlight that managed to catch it. Mimicking her movements, my hand rested on my scythe. I had taken a leaf from Dad's book and decided to go down the same weapon route he chose when he became a Huntsman. It may not have been as cool as his, but it was mine and I was proud with it.

"Let's go." Mom jumped from the trees.

I jumped down into the field and ran ahead to intercept the woman.

It did not take long to reach her and she ground to a halt when she spotted me. Her eyes were wide and they shifted between me and my scythe before they hardened into a mean glare.

"You're with that wretched man and little girl, aren't you?" She demanded.

I didn't say anything. You can't give an enemy any information about you, because that's how they destroyed you. They learned your secrets and went after what you cherished the most. Once they broke it, it broke you. Enemies live to watch you suffer and will put off killing you until they are satisfied with what they reduced you to.

My hands gripped my scythe and my knees bent just a bit as I prepared to dash at her. Then I heard it.

It was a small whimper, and it came from the bundle in the woman's arms. When I realized what was in that bundle she was holding, a chill went down my spine and my blood went cold. It wasn't just a man and a woman we would be killing tonight. We would be killing this baby along with them.

I was so distracted that I barely registered the weapon the woman generated in her hand. It practically materialized into existence and took shape of a vicious looking blade. She pointed it at me and her amber eyes burned bright.

"If you're here to kill me, I suggest you do it now. If not, I will cut you down first!" Her words were filled with venom.

I shook my head and glared back at her. With a push of my feet, I lurched at her with my scythe back and swung. The blade caught nothing but air as she sidestepped it, but I was ready for that. Fixing my grip, I spun on my heel and carried my scythe around to my side with a hack. It cut through the air like a knife through butter with a loud whoosh.

I did not hit the woman, so her Aura was untouched, but I did hear a piece of clothing tear. With quick feet I turned and saw a fresh cut on her pants that she took a moment to observe before glaring at me again.

"I suppose you have some skill, but you'll need more than that to beat me," she said.

My lips remained sealed. I had gotten lucky with that strike, but this is where it would get harder.

The woman nestled the baby in the small cloth harness and slung it around so it was on her back. She held out her now free hand and another blade took shape in it.

"How fast are you on your feet, boy?" She shot at me.

My breath caught in my throat and my eyes tried to follow her movements. She was fast with her attacks, but she had the grace of a dancer. The balls of her feet were barely touching the ground with each jump and dash she made. Add that in with her strikes it was truly frightening.

Where was Mom? She jumped out here before me, yet she was nowhere to be seen. There's no way she couldn't find me or could not hear the clash our weapons, so what was she doing?

This was her testing to see whether or not I could truly do this on my own. If I was ready to do what was necessary to enter that secret society that she and Dad were a part of.

If she was doing this for me… what about Raven? Was Dad doing the same for her?

A chill went down my spine at the thought of Raven doing this alone. As much as I was sure she could handle herself, that familiar feeling in my gut returned like a wicked punch. She would not last long against the man unless Dad intervened like Mom, but that all depended on their agreement on when to step in. Would it be if we were about to be cut down or if was taking too long?

With that thought in mind, it made my goal of defeating this woman grow. I needed to get to Raven and help her!

My arms held up my scythe and my knees buckled from under me. They fell into the cold, hard ground staining my pants with dirt. The shaking in my arms got stronger as I held her blades at bay.

Taking the chance I peeked up at the woman and cracked an eye open. Her eyes were fixed in a cruel glare. I could see the fire of righteous fury in them as she tried to overpower me with her swords.

My scythe got closer to me and it was soon turning into an inevitable loss. A twisted smirk spread across her lips and a chortle left her.

"My, my, you're quite the fighter aren't you?" Her voice was unbearably sweet.

I was too afraid to open my mouth and retort. It was a distraction that would have done me in. My Aura had already taken a bit of a beating when we were trading blows earlier.

A growl escaped my lips as I found a more solid base for my foot. If I could just time it right, I would be able to push her back and take a swing at her.

Once I was sure I had the power I needed, I held my scythe as tight as I could and thrust up with a push of my foot. I didn't get to throw her off, but at least I was back on my feet, so that was a start. Our deadlock was now even once again.

I gave another hard shove and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the slash of both blades. She was quick to lunge at me and I felt the air get sucked from my lungs when her knee burrowed into my stomach. My eyes went wide and I hunched over, desperate to quell the pain, yet stay on my feet to continue fighting. I stumbled forward avoiding her first sword, but I felt the sharp sting across my back when her second one met me.

I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out. That was a good hit and it was no surprise that my Aura was almost shattered. One more hit like that, I was in trouble. I needed to focus.

On an act of instinct, I quickly spun around with my scythe and swung up. A loud clang resounded in the clearing when I deflected her blades and made her stagger back. I acted again and swung again and again. From the right, then the left, under, then left again. She was able to evade my hits, just getting by the last one by the skin of her nose.

It was infuriating. As much as I hate admitting this, I was out of my league. The only purpose I served here was to be a distraction so Mom could finish her off. If that was the case, now would be a good time to do it.

Sparks flew off my scythe when I parried her swords. I was back on defense again and it was driving me nuts.

I ducked under another cut of hers, but in doing so I saw the perfect hit. With a quick jab of my elbow I managed to land a good hit on her ribs, getting a grunt from her. I then followed up with a quick push of my feet and rammed into her, sending her off balance. Her back was exposed, but I refrained from striking. That damn baby would be killed before I got to her.

What really got me was that the baby was now sound asleep. Even with her mother moving around like a maniac trying to cut me down, the baby slept soundly. It was creepy. Most babies are lulled to sleep by their parents, but this one dozed off at the sound of combat.

The woman was just turning on her heel, but snapped out of my stupor. My hands were quick when I swung down with a chop. The blade of my scythe just got inside and cut her waist. She gave a sharp hiss and jumped away, her amber eyes burning with rage.

Her blades disappeared with a flick of her wrists. It was there that I noticed something I failed to catch earlier.

The woman's clothes glowed a bit and when she held out her hand, small particles of Dust swarmed around it and took shape once more. This time her weapon came in the form of a bow. A handful of arrows formed in her other hand.

Her change of tactic surprised me, but I was ready to deal with it. Ranged attacks were easy to handle to an extent. I didn't have anything to shield me, but I would be able to hide in the grass to try and draw her out. Anything else would revolve around my timing to deflect her arrows.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a cool breeze caressed my face. There was a storm coming and if I held out until it arrived, I could use it to my advantage.

A light thwack met my eats as the woman released the string and then a sharp whistle. She let her first arrow fly and I could see the glint of it in the remaining sunlight. Easy enough to block. It shattered when I twirled my scythe and cut it with the blade. Its remnants shimmered when they landed on the ground and then burst before being carried away with the wind.

 _Glass?_

I was broken from my thoughts when another whistle soared through the air. It was a stroke of luck that it didn't shatter my Aura and hit my face. The arrow just missed me when I tilted my head to the side.

Screw this, I need to get into the grass.

I dove away from the next arrow and felt my pants rustle as it just missed me again. Just how strong was this woman? She could fight proficiently with two blades at close range and her aim was on point with each arrow she sent at me.

I rolled in the grass and was crouched low. It was tall enough to hide me, but if I moved too fast she would see it move and send an arrow right at me.

My throat went dry and I could feel every agonizing pump of my heart as it beat. Even now I'm not sure if it was adrenaline or fear that was causing it.

Finding the strength to move, I carefully lifted my foot and inched it out to my right. When it touched down without a sound, I did the same for my other. My body got low to the ground and my hands slowly carried me over. The grass did enough to muffle the sound. I waited for a couple of seconds before shifting again.

How long did I have before she came into the grass to hunt me down?

My heart got lodged in my throat when I heard a blade cut through the air. It was a quick swish and then a loud tear as grass close by was cut down. At least now I had my answer.

I could hear her trekking through the grass with each step she took. The grass crunched under her feet and would then stop for a painfully long time before she took another step. She knew I was close by and this may have been her way of trying to draw me out. It was a cautious play on her end, but for me it was torturous. It got to the point where I was tempted just to jump up and wing it, but that was just stupid. She would be expecting that.

Taking the chance, I moved a couple of feet to the side again. My head was facing the direction I heard her feet last. Just a few feet ahead of me.

Thunder boomed again and the sky flashed a bright white as lightning stretched across it. Another breeze swept the clearing and the grass blew back and forth when it did. Something wet touched my neck and I heard it pick up one drop at a time before it came in waves of torrential rain.

My feet were slipping out from under me. I tried pulling up my hand and the grass gave an audible splash, making my heart freeze.

"Where are you, little boy? Don't tell me that you're afraid?" She taunted me.

I kept my mouth shut and took the chance to move again. My body shivered under the assault of the downpour.

"Qrow!"

My head snapped up. It may have been in my imagination, but I swore I heard my name called clear as day. I took my attention off the woman's taunts and strained my ears again to confirm if I heard that or not. Only heavy rain met me.

 _Was that Raven?_

I shook my head. She couldn't have been in trouble. No way! Dad was with her and he was the toughest son of a bitch in Remnant. She was fine, she had to be!

My hands shook as my mind began to crumble away at the negative thoughts. I could not let those get to me, lest I wanted to draw the Grimm.

"Qrow!"

It was faint, but this time I was sure it was her. She was calling for me. She needed my help.

My breathing began to slow down as I took a few deep breaths to calm down. I opened my eyes when another rumble of thunder rolled across the clearing. Lightning flashed and I shot to my feet. The woman's back was to me and I took the chance.

I jumped at her and my scythe gleamed over my head as I got ready to cut her down.

The baby cried and I silently cursed when the woman spun around with her bow aimed for me, her arrow already drawn back.

Thwack! The whistle met my ears and everything slowed down. The glint of the arrow shone in my eyes and I shifted my arms to protect my face. My Aura shattered and a sharp, stabbing pain entered my forearm. I could not hold back the cry and dropped my scythe.

I gripped the shaft of the arrow and wrenched it out and winced when it cut me again. Another sharp pain struck my shoulder and I stumbled back and fell into the mud. When I tried to pull the arrow out, it snapped in half.

I rolled over and tried to scramble away, but the pain in my shoulder made it lock up. My legs pushed through the mud and inched me through it, but it was not fast enough. The ugly realization hit me when the light splats of mud grew closer behind me.

This is where I was going to die? In a muddy field at the hands of some woman I don't even know?

I flipped to my back and saw the woman's amber eyes glowing as she stopped at my feet. The triumphant look on her face mocked me as I lied there waiting to die. It was smug, and this was her way of telling me she was going to kill me and I had no power to stop her.

She readied one last arrow and took aim. The tip of it did not even shake as she locked her arm and aimed for my heart.

A splash came from my side followed by a loud whoosh. Glass showered the ground and I looked up to see Mom in front of me. I did not get a clear look at her face, but I did not want to. She was livid. She made quick work of the woman's bow after cutting it with her massive blade and had it brought back with both hands.

The woman's eyes went wide and her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain. I even flinched at the sound of the blade piercing the woman's chest. It sounded similar to wood snapping before an old tree fell. Her sword had gone right through the bone and out her back.

Mom's words were cold as ice when she moved close to the woman's face.

"You will not harm my son, you wretched bitch!"

Blood squirted out of the woman's chest and trickled from her mouth when she wrenched her blade out and swung. The woman's headless body fell to its knees before hitting the mud with a sickening splat. The water became a sickly mixture of red and brown and I had to turn away to keep myself from vomiting.

"Qrow!"

Mom was immediately by my side and had me wrapped in a tight hug. I could feel her cold, wet lips pressed against my forehead as she held me close. One hand on my back and the other ran through my matted hair.

In my state of shock my arms wrapped around her as I continued to stare at the dead body in front of me.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm so sorry." She pulled away and turned my face towards hers.

Tears streamed from her eyes and fell with the rain. She gently stroked my face with her thumbs and caressed away the mud and blood.

"Mom, where did you go?" My voice was almost inaudible.

"I had to know if you were ready, so I stayed back." She shook her head. "That was a mistake. I should have done this with you. I'm so sorry, Qrow."

She hugged me again and I hissed in pain when she nudged the wound in my shoulder. She let go and her eyes fell on the arrow and they narrowed in anger. Her hand gripped my shoulder and the other took a firm hold of the remaining shaft.

Mom apologized again and pulled. I let out another cry and tears prickled the corner of my eye. My raspy breaths was soon replaced with a light laugh as relief coursed through me.

A loud wail met us and we turned back to the woman's body. The baby was now wiggling in its bundle and crying loudly. Possibly knowing that its mother was gone.

"Mom, what are we going to do with that baby?" I asked, almost fearing the answer.

Mom ran her hand through my hair again and offered a sad smile. She stood up and walked over to the baby. She scooped it up in her arms and rocked it to calm it down.

"It's a girl," she told me.

"What are we going to do with her?" I asked again.

She was silent as she continued to rock the baby gently in her arms, much like she did to me and Raven when we were younger.

"We'll take her for now. It's better than leaving her out here to die," she said.

I nodded and let out a sigh. Good. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if we just left her out here.

"We need to go find your sister and your father. They should be finishing up on their end…"

 _Raven!_

With a wave of newfound energy and determination to keep my word to her, I picked up my scythe and took off towards the trees. I heard Mom call out for me, but I did not stay to wait.

* * *

I was moving with speed I did not even know I had. Every tree, bush, puddle and rock that got in my way, I hurdled them and cut through them with ease with my scythe, the pain in my shoulder completely forgotten.

Thunder boomed again and lightning flashed across the sky. The flashes created menacing shadows in the dark thicket of trees. Some of them resembled Grimm, but it did not deter me from my frantic run.

The trees ahead of me began to thin out and another clearing came into view. They were just beyond the trees.

Hang on Raven, I'm almost there!

With a cry I cut through a small tree and stumbled across the waterlogged ground. My eyes darted around and took in everything around me.

Just ahead there was a small house that was engulfed in flames. Smoke billowed into the stormy sky and met my nose as it blew in the wind. It burned my nostrils and stung at my eyes and made them water.

I turned my head and not far from the house I could see three figures. One was standing a few feet away from the other two. One was lying on the ground and the other was kneeling beside the other.

After squinting I was able to see that the one kneeling was Raven, and that filled me with relief, but it did not last long. She did not move and her eyes were fixed upon the man lying before her and she made no effort to acknowledge the other man just a few feet away.

Was that Dad on the ground?

 _No…_

I took a step forward, another chill going down my spine at the thought of it. That sinking feeling returned to my stomach and felt like an anchor as it nestled in me.

My legs took long strides as I sprinted to Raven.

 _No! No! No! No!_

I slid to a stop behind Raven and clenched my fists when I saw Dad lying in front of her unmoving. It looked as though he had been run through with a blade. The blood that soaked his shirt crimson was still oozing out.

"Raven." I put my hand on her shoulder.

She jumped and shook her head.

"Qrow, I…" she stuttered through her tears. "Dad just…"

I squeezed her shoulder.

"You help Dad, I'll handle this," I said.

She only nodded and her hands shook as she put them over his chest to try and suppress the bleeding.

When I was sure Raven was under control, I turned my red eyes at the man who cut Dad down. He did not look much better than Dad did.

His clothes were torn and bloodied all over. His brown eyes were glaring at me and his messy brown hair was matted down from blood and rain.

"Who the hell are you?" He sneered.

Neither of us had Aura, so I needed to be careful for myself, but this guy was good as dead if I got the opening I needed. With that thought in mind, I returned his glare with one of my own and tried to see if I could rile him up.

"You can ask your wife when I'm done with you."

The man's body froze and his head perked up. His sneer was replaced with a look of disbelief and he shook his head.

"You're lying," he said.

I did not say anything and held my scythe up as I got ready to fight.

He let out a scream laced with rage and anguish. He dashed at me and had his blade ready to slash. I was ready for it, but what I did not expect was for him to break clean through my weapon.

Shock coursed through me when half of my scythe landed on the ground, leaving me with just half a staff. I sidestepped a stab and wrapped his arm up and gave a tight jerk, forcing him to drop his blade. My elbow throbbed when it smashed into his face, spewing blood down his front.

He spun out of my grip and formed a tight fist. Tiny lights burst in front of my eyes when his knuckles smashed into my cheek. He hit me again, and again, and again. I could feel the entire left side of my face swell up as bruises formed one hit at a time.

I blocked his punch and dug my heels into the ground and locked us in place. Our arms pushed and pulled each other away as we tried to get the other to crumble. He won that battle.

He pulled me towards him and drove his knee into my stomach, then my ribs, and then under my chin. He let go after spinning me to the side and kicked me down.

I never felt so helpless in my life. My sister was trying to help our dying father and it was now my job to protect them. I rolled to my back when I heard him draw close and gave a hard kick.

The man let out a surprised grunt when my heel found its way into his stomach and made him hunch over. He quickly recovered and knocked my leg aside and then dove on me. His hands shot for my neck and closed around it like iron.

My eyes shot open and I could feel the blood rush to my head and the burning sensation that came with it. My hands tried to force his wrists up, but he had too much leverage. I could feel my legs scrambling wildly as they tried to wiggle me free to give me that precious air I craved.

"You may have killed my wife and my daughter, but I want you to know something," said the man. "When I finish with you and your father, I will make your sister's life miserable beyond belief."

My brow furrowed at the implication and I wanted nothing more than to escape his grasp and tear him apart. I tried once again to pry his hands off me and was met with the same result.

Darkness crept into my vision and everything around me began to fade. My hands lost their strength and just laid helplessly on his. I could still see that look of twisted mirth on his face as he continued strangling me. So imagine my surprise when his look of amusement scrunched into one of mute agony as my father's scythe pierced him through his back and out the side of his stomach.

Air shot into my lungs and sent me into a coughing fit. My fingers gently rubbed my neck to sooth the pain and I returned my focus to the lifesaving attack.

Raven had impaled the man when he almost finished me off and saved me. The man soon turned on her and backhanded her hard across the face, sending her to the ground. She stirred in pain and her eyes widened in fear when the man pulled Dad's scythe free and tossed it aside.

The man then picked up his weapon and skulked towards Raven, ready to stab her. She tried to put distance between the two of them, but he caught her by the leg and dragged her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" He sneered.

 _Get your hands off her!_

My eyes landed on Dad's scythe. I'd seen him use it dozens of times while training and knew how it worked like the back of my hand. Its main form was that of a sword that had a built in gun and when the lever was pulled, it shifted into the scythe.

The man had Raven pinned and his arms were barely being held in place by her as he tried to inch it closer to her neck.

I jumped over to Dad's scythe and pursed my lips. A sharp whistle flew out and got the man's attention. When he saw me grab a hold of the weapon, his eye's widened and he clambered off Raven and made a beeline for me.

The grip of the scythe was in my hand and I held it tight. It was a little weird to be honest. The second I grabbed it, it felt right. Like the weapon was perfectly built for me to use.

I pushed myself up, spun on my heel and aimed the tip of the blade at him and flipped the switch. The blade lowered to reveal the gun and my finger coiled around the trigger. A flash of orange emitted from the tip of the gun and the loud bang that followed was swallowed by a clap of thunder.

That shot I fired was filled with nothing but anger and vengeance, and the thunder only added to that feeling.

The man went stiff as a board and his cry of anger was stopped short. The bullet struck him dead center in the chest and left a sizeable hole in it. He swayed in place and a guttural gag left his mouth with a glob of blood. He fell back and landed spread eagle on the grass, eyes open staring up at the dark sky.

In the end, I did kill one of the targets, but I sure as hell didn't feel proud of it. I only did it because he would have killed me and Raven. And it may have been that kill or be killed mentality that made me quick to push it aside.

My finger flicked the switch and the sword rose back into place and locked.

"Qrow," a weak voice met me.

It was Dad.

I snapped from my stupor and slid to his side, Raven on the other looking down at him with her tear streaked face.

"Did you get him?" Dad's eyes met mine.

"Yeah… yeah, I got him, Dad." I nodded.

I gently sat him up and put pressure on his wound. His heart beat weakly beneath his chest and I could feel every pulse of it through the palm of my hand. It was growing weaker by the second.

"Good. Then that means you and your mother got the woman too, right?" He coughed.

I nodded again.

"Stop, you're gonna' fuck it up even more." I pushed on his chest to make my point.

His chest shook as a strained laugh escaped him. His hand reached up and lightly slapped my face.

"Qrow, I know that we haven't had the strongest relationship, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you." His eyes drooped just a bit, his strength was leaving him.

"We can work on it when we get you patched up. You're not dying here, Dad," I tried to play it off, but my voice betrayed me.

I could feel it crack as the sorrow crept into it.

His hand rustled my hair and another chuckle left him.

"Whatever you say, boy," he replied. "You take care of your mother and your sister, you hear?"

My eyes stung with tears as they prickled at the corners again. This time I could not hold them back as they trickled down my cheeks. I only nodded back, knowing my voice would break again if I tried to speak.

"I'm proud of both of you." He moved his other hand and cupped the side of Raven's face.

His heart was barely beating at this point and I bit down on my lip. Mom was still not here and I was thankful she wasn't. It was bad enough that Raven and I were here for Dad's last moment, but if Mom were here? She'd be devastated.

My hand grabbed a handful of his bloody shirt and gripped it tight when I could no longer feel his heart beating. His hand had fallen from Raven's cheek, but she held onto it firmly, as if memorizing his warm touch.

My shoulders shook as silent sobs wracked my body, but Raven was openly crying, her whimpers of grief felt like a knife piercing my heart.

"Dad, please…" She begged. "Please don't go."

"Raven," I spoke up, trying to get her attention.

"This was my fault. If I didn't…"

Thunder rumbled and the rain fell harder, soaking the two of us as we sat there with Dad's body.

My hand reached out for Raven and grabbed her shoulder. I pulled her over to me and she complied as if her mind was on autopilot. Once she was beside me I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and held her close, still holding Dad with my other.

I could feel her sobs through my arm, but I didn't say anything. I mean, what else could I say?

Raven lowered her head and rested her forehead against Dad's and continued to cry. Her scream echoed around the field through the pouring rain.

"Dad!"

* * *

I slowly swirled the glass in my hands and just stared at the whiskey as it swished up and down inside. The glass came to my lips, but I stopped. A sigh escaped my nose and I set the glass back on the countertop.

That story was one of the worst memories I had. I killed someone and I failed to save my old man. I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my glass again to take another long sip.

"What happened after that?" Winter asked.

I shook my head again and looked back at her. Her lips were turned down in a small frown.

"Mom was a mess when she found us and withdrew from being a Huntsman altogether. Raven started to isolate herself and took solace in her training," I said.

"And what about you?" She took a sip from her drink.

"I was still in shock and denial. Dad said I had to watch out for Raven and Mom, so I tried to be strong and acted like everything was fine. When either of them brought it up, I got angry and would walk off or change the subject," I replied.

* * *

It had been two weeks after Dad's death. Mom, Raven and I barely left the house, only leaving to get food or to run a quick errand. With Dad gone it left a large gap between us. The house was quieter and we would not mention anything about the empty space at the kitchen table when it was time for dinner.

I was in the shed and doing maintenance on my new scythe. I had taken Dad's weapon and made it my own. It was all I had left of him and I wanted to keep it in pristine condition.

I ran the stone on the blade again to sharpen it. The stone grinding against the metal was harsh and loud, but it did not block out the sound of footsteps entering the shed. I took a glance and saw Raven leaning in the door, her eyes downcast.

"Hey," I greeted her, getting off the stool with the scythe in hand.

"You're out here again?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just doing some work."

I moved by her and went outside to test the scythe and see if it was sharpened to the point Dad always had it.

"You can't keep it bottled up, you know," Raven said.

I stopped in my tracks and my brow furrowed at the comment. My hand tightened around the grip of the scythe.

"Mom and I are upset too, but we're trying to overcome it. What you're doing isn't healthy," she continued.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I quickly retorted.

"Don't try to act tough, Qrow. It's okay to let it out."

"Easy for you to say! Dad told me I have to look after you and Mom, so I need to be tough! It's the least I can do after failing him!"

Raven's head snapped up and her glare towards me was filled with anger. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she kept them at bay.

"You didn't fail him that day, you idiot! I did! If I didn't get scared and freeze up, Dad wouldn't have taken that hit for me!" She yelled.

My eyes widened a bit. She had been very hush-hush about the whole encounter with that man and I never understood how Dad was cut down by him, but now it made sense. The revelation hit me hard in the stomach and filled me with guilt.

"I should've died that day, not Dad!" She clenched her fists. "The difference between you and me is that I accepted he's gone and that no matter what I do, he won't come back. I miss him and I feel guilty as hell."

She wiped her eyes and sniffed before meeting my gaze again.

"So don't lie to me, because you're not alright. That much I know." Her eyes softened a bit.

I said nothing as I looked back at Raven. She did not have the will to carry on the conversation any more. She turned around and looked over her shoulder.

"I'll let you get back to work."

I watched her form retreat back into the house and must've stared after her for a good five minutes replaying the conversation in my head. Every emotion that I had bottled up when Dad died was bubbling inside and ready to be unleashed on the closest target I could find.

My hand gripped the scythe tighter and I turned my eyes to one of the many training dummies that were off to the side.

The dummy gave a loud shudder as I slashed it with the scythe. It rocked back and forth as if mocking me at the weak display of power. I grit my teeth and swung again making the dummy bounce violently back and forth.

It was different from the training sessions that Dad gave me and Raven when using our weapons and that only made me swing harder and harder. Each dummy was eventually cut down until the last dummy, which happened to be the near indestructible one remained.

I slashed at it and felt my hands sting and throb from the constant hits. My hands were raw and started to bleed from the stress. With each swing a grunt of anger and sadness escaped me. Each swing from the weapon rang out violently and echoed around the yard, disturbing whatever peace our neighbors may have been enjoying.

One swing. Clang! Another swing. Clang! Then another and another. Clang! Clang!

My blood began to stain the grip of the scythe. I gave one last hack for good measure before tossing the scythe to the side. The blade embedded into the ground and I fell to my rear. My breaths left in heavy pants of anger and exhaustion as I tried to calm down.

Raven was right.

* * *

I downed the rest of my whiskey and shook my head as the kick brought me out of the memory completely.

"Surely all of your memories aren't terrible?" Winter remarked.

"Of course not. I do have some good memories." I waved it aside.

"Some? Can you be more specific?"

"I can count at least eight, but almost half of those can be classified as bad, too."

Winter rolled her eyes and took a long drink from her glass. She set it down and turned back to me.

"Then let's balance this. Tell me one of your better stories before we go into another bad one," she reasoned.

I rubbed my eyes again and thanked the bartender who replaced my glass with another one. I had a good buzz going, so this would definitely help pick up the mood, if only just a bit.

Like I said, only a handful of good memories would be told tonight, but the Ice Queen had a point. You had to balance out the bad stuff with something good.

"Good idea." I nodded.

"What story are you going to tell me next?" Winter cocked her head.

 _I think I got just the one._ I turned to her with a small smile. "How about when I met my partner?"

* * *

 **There we go. I hope you enjoyed the long chapter and that the violence did not seem to wild for you, but I have this rated M for a reason since it will touch down on some sensitive points that I want to drive home with Qrow's character. There were little bits and pieces in there I will not blatantly state, but if you look closely, you'll see what I did. I also hope you enjoyed the little bit that his current weapon was his father's. Let me know what you thought, and I will see you guys next time. -CaptainPrice**


	4. Summer Rose

**Hey, everyone. Thought I would treat the small group of followers for this story to a nice 2016 send off. I would like to thank all of you who have favorited and alerted the story. Especially to those that have reviewed it. You guys are the reason why I'm trying to do this story justice along with the characters. So keep on letting me know how you are liking it and how to improve if you spot something that's worth noting.**

 **Now I will be honest. Volume 4 has kind of made this somewhat difficult to write with what I had planned and what I want to have happen. So I'm trying to tie the story in to the canon as much as I can and do my own spin on the story as well. Just as a heads up for you all.**

 **Anyway, let's get to it.**

 **Legend:**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter's brow arched in interest at my suggestion. She was right. With the amount of bad stories I had compared to good, I needed to switch it up and balance it. Meeting my partner was easily one of the best memories I had.

"Who was your partner?" She asked.

I could feel my lips curve up in a genuine smile. The day I met her was forever engrained in my memory and it filled me with a warmth every time.

"Her name was Summer Rose," I said, the smile still present on my face.

Winter tilted her head and her eyes shifted to the ceiling as if in thought about the name.

"Rose… isn't that the same name as your niece?" She asked.

"Yeah." I bobbed my head. "Summer was her mother."

"I see… what was she like?"

Summer Rose was many things, but the one word that stood out in my mind was beautiful. She was not a very tall girl, barely coming up to my shoulder. Her hair was short and dark with red tips, much like Ruby's. Her eyes were like big silver suns and glowed with power and kindness that only grew when she smiled. She had this smile that was capable of bringing life to anything it graced.

"You sound very fond of her," she noted, taking a drink from her glass.

"Everyone that knew her was fond of her. She was special in many ways," I quickly replied.

"I see. How did you meet her?"

My fingers swirled my glass and I silently reflected back to my younger days. Man, it had to have been what, twenty-four years ago now? Sounds right.

"I met her at Beacon the day before initiation. My day was already at a crappy start," I said and lightly scratched my chin.

* * *

The ride to the school had been long and I was about ready to jump off the side just to escape it. There were dozens of students on board making it congested. Needless to say, I was feeling claustrophobic. I like my space and the limited amount that I had was only chipping away at my self-destruction timer.

To my side, Raven appeared to be no better. Her arms were crossed and her brow was furrowed in a nasty glare. The raw emotion that came from her was enough to make the most confident men think twice before speaking to her.

I frowned just a bit when I looked at her. She had been isolating herself ever since Dad died, only speaking to me and Mom, but even now those conversations were growing less frequent. She had immersed herself in her training and had become a force to be reckoned with. She was now able to go toe to toe with me with ease and even bested me a few times whenever we sparred.

Now, I should point out that after Dad died, we took a different route of training. Instead of attending Signal like our parents planned, we opted not to enroll and were trained by our tribe instead. If I could be honest, I think it may have been a better path. Signal would have been good to the average Huntsman in training, but like I said before, our tribe is known for producing some of the strongest Huntsman that Remnant had seen, the prime examples being my mother and my father. It also would have helped us from a social standpoint. Well, I guess it would have been more beneficial for Raven. I'm pretty sure the word socialize wasn't in her vocabulary, and if it was, it was alien to her.

"You know that once we get to Beacon you will have to talk to people, right?" I looked at her. "I heard that the initiation gives us a partner and that will also lead us to teams."

Her red eyes bore into me. She didn't even turn her head, but that sideways glance would put anyone on edge. For me, it was almost hilarious. I grew up with her doing that to me all the time and it made me impervious to it.

"Keep talking and I'll destroy that pair of pants next." She growled.

Yeah, that was what put me in my foul mood. Raven was never one to have the best sense of humor which was something I strived to help her grow in. So when I teased her about her being the reason we missed the first ship to Beacon, she didn't take it too well. And sadly, that resulted in her shredding my pants with her blade to make it look like a pair of shorts.

"I'm just saying that you should expect it. I'm not sure how the headmaster has it planned to work out, but I'm just saying you probably won't be paired with me that easily. And don't deny that's exactly what you had planned," I answered her.

"So what if it was? You and I work well together, so why fix something that's not broken?" She challenged.

"Only because we've trained together. Who knows, maybe you'll find someone you're more compatible with."

"That's very unlikely."

I rolled my eyes and lightly thumped my head against the wall. Stubborn as always. She'll learn soon enough that her plans won't always work out the way she wanted them to.

I did another look around the ship. There was a lot of good looking girls that would only grow into stunning women throughout our school years.

My eyes fell upon a blonde haired kid on the other side of the ship. He was conversing with a handful of girls, garnering laughs from all of them. In a way I envied him, but at the same time I had to tip my hat for his smooth talking to talk with so many girls at a time. The kid's eyes shifted in our direction and lingered for a long moment.

I followed his gaze and saw it upon my sister. Yeah, if he wanted to get to her, he'd have to go through me. Not that he'd get far if he did. Raven would shoot him down faster than he could open his mouth.

Sure enough, the boy excused himself from the group of girls he had been schmoozing and made his way over to us. The smile on his face was friendly, but only time would tell what his true intentions were.

"I think you're about to have company," I whispered to Raven.

"If he thinks he can chat me up like those other girls, he's got another thing coming," said Raven.

"Heh, who knows? He might even be your future partner."

I was quick to lean away from her backhand and chuckled at the nasty glare she gave me. I'd probably regret it later, but for now, I would enjoy the little entertainment between the flirt and my sister.

The blonde still had a large smile on his face when he stopped before Raven.

"Hey, I'm Taiyang. And I gotta' say, you don't know Xiao Long I've been waiting to meet someone like you," he said.

I blinked and cringed just a bit. That had to be one of the worst pick-up lines I heard. Of all time.

Raven did not acknowledge him and kept her gaze aimed for the floor. Her eyes were closed, but I could see the subtle twitch of annoyance.

"Do you have a name?" Taiyang asked her again.

He was given the silent treatment. His smile fell into a sly smirk and he rested his hand on his hip.

"Ah, you're the strong and silent type, huh?" He rose a brow.

"You're wasting your time," I said to him.

Taiyang turned to me and folded his arms.

"Really? What makes you say that?" He replied.

"I'm her brother. Trust me, you're fighting a losing battle." I shook my head.

From the corner of my eye I could see the small curve in Raven's lip as she smirked.

If the blonde continued his pursuit, I'd let him, but he'd better be ready for Raven's comeback.

"Losing battle? Buddy, I'm Taiyang Xiao Long. If there's one thing I can do without fail, it's take on a challenge."

Your funeral, man.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

I cracked my neck and turned to walk away. I needed to get some air. There was no need to worry about Raven.

I weaved my way through the crowds of students and made my way to the deck. The wind greeted me with a cool blast as I stepped outside.

No lie, the view from the ship was truly something. I could see the city of Vale growing distant as we flew towards the school. The sun shone brightly off the crystal clear water below. The scent of salt tickled my nose as the wind carried it up.

"Finally. It was way too crowded in there." I sighed.

My feet carried me to the railing and I leaned forward to take in the horizon. It was always something that caught my attention. Every time I traveled and trained to become a Huntsman, I always marveled in the land. The endless fields, forests, swamps, mountains, it always lured me in. It screamed adventure, exploration and was one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to be a Huntsman.

It was a somewhat selfish reason, but come on. I'm taking up the fight against creatures of darkness, I should be able to indulge in some personal wants, right? A career as a Huntsman opened the gates to that possibility and I would not let that go to waste.

I was brought out of my thoughts with a gentle bump to my back.

I craned my neck to see who it was and was greeted with a white hood. The hooded person stiffened and looked up to meet my eyes.

Large, silver orbs greeted me. They were wide with surprise. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She quickly stepped back. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

I blinked and shook my head as I tried to process her words. She was so startled and talked so fast that I could barely grasp what she said.

"It's fine." I dismissed it with a wave of my hand.

"Oh, good! I've had some people go ballistic whenever I did that, so I'm a little jumpy whenever that happens, but it's nice that you don't seem like that."

Once again, her words came out fast as she continued to ramble on. It was odd, yet cute in a way. She lightly scratched her face and became very interested with her feet as she shuffled them lightly.

"Slow down there, Motor Mouth. It's cool, really. It's not like you did it on purpose," I said.

The girl looked up and her eyes narrowed just a bit. Her cheeks puffed out in a small pout and it made her look cuter than before.

"Who are you calling Motor Mouth, you… you…" She replied, but trailed off as she tried to come up with a nickname.

Okay, this was too good pass up. I leaned back on the railing and smirked at her as she continued to try and find a good retort. All the while, the pink on her cheeks became more prominent.

"Take your time," I said with a laugh.

"Don't start with me, Chuckles!" She pointed a finger at me, her blush now gone.

"Chuckles?" I tilted my head, almost laughing again.

"Yeah! You want to call me that, then I'll call you Chuckles!"

I sent a light glare at her which she returned with a cross of her arms.

We stared at each other like that for almost a minute. A snort escaped me and I burst out laughing. She joined me and held her stomach as she continued to laugh.

Our laughter finally died off and she leaned against the rail beside me. The smile on her face was welcoming and her eyes almost looked like they were glowing.

"So, what's your name?" I asked her.

She smiled and held out her hand. "Summer Rose. What's yours?"

"Qrow Branwen." I took her hand.

Despite the soft touch it brought, I could feel the strength in her grip as we shook hands.

This was a step in the right direction after my day started out the way it did. I was on my way to making my first friend and it was a cute girl, no less.

* * *

A dull thump came to my side as Winter set down her glass again. Her face was showing a little more color now as the alcohol started to affect her. If I had to be honest, I was surprised she was still awake. I pegged her at passing out after she slammed that first vodka cranberry.

"You still with me, or are we going to have to call it a night?" I smirked at her.

"I'm fine!" She snapped back.

She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. She still had half a glass of her vodka cranberry left. If she were to try and finish it up at her pace, she would pass out, and that would be awkward to explain to Jimmy if I had to carry her back.

"Okay, why don't you back off on the alcohol for now and just sip on what you've got? You don't look so good," I said.

"Fine," she answered back, pulling her face from her hands.

The blush on her face was rosy. It almost looked like she had spent hours outside playing in the snow.

"From what you've told me about her, Summer sounded like a shy person," said Winter.

It may have been my imagination, but I thought I heard some bite at Summer's name. Then again, I was already quite a few drinks in myself and was well into my buzz, so it could have just been me.

I took a long sip from my whiskey and let out a laugh.

"Not even close." I shook my head. "Believe it or not, she was probably the most social person on our team, even more than Tai."

Winter looked at me a raised brow in disbelief. Her eyes bore into me as if to grill me out of a lie, to which I just calmly stared back.

"She was more social than that flirt?" She asked. "Wait, did that guy end up on your team?"

I sipped my whiskey again with a small nod.

"I probably could have told you that by now if you'd stop asking questions," I smugly replied.

A scowl marred the woman's face and hers hands formed into tight fists.

"Asshole!" She muttered, but her eyes flew open and she covered her mouth.

A surprised cough left my lips and I quickly looked back at the specialist in shock. I'd known her for a long time and often times tried to test her patience and anger to see just how unhinged she could become. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I never once got her to curse or call me such a name. Her insults were more intelligent and if I were to be honest, it made her more attractive than a lot of the younger women I talked to.

My shoulders shook and a booming laugh escaped me. It was just too funny! Out of all the ways to make the dignified Winter Schnee break and result to such an insult, it was alcohol! This was just too good!

My laughter continued and I leaned forward on the counter, holding my head up.

Winter's rosy cheeks were now so red that it could put the morning sun to shame. She buried her face in her hands and slowly shook her head.

"Oh my god, that was fantastic!" I wiped my brow free of sweat.

"I can't believe I just said that," was Winter's muffled response.

"Why? I'm not even mad you called me that. That was hilarious."

She finally pulled her face out of her hands and glared back at me.

"It was unprofessional of me to say something like that," she said.

"Unprofessional? Really?" I gave her a flat look. "Are you even in the military? Soldiers say crap like that all the time. Hell, I'm sure Ole Jimmy said his fair share of colorful words, too!"

"It's one thing to think it and not say it!"

"You need to lighten up, Ice Queen. You're wound tighter than a spring."

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. Trust me, I was being polite with that comment. I could have said something worse than that."

She opened her mouth as if to call my bluff, but wisely closed it. She knew me well enough not to do that because I was not one to bluff much.

"Who would've thought that Ice Queen had the mouth of a sailor when she drinks?" I brought my glass to my lips.

She let out a growl and glared at me from the corner of her eye.

"Just get on with the story!"

* * *

The ride to Beacon came to end. I barely noticed our arrival since I was busy talking with Summer after she bumped into me. It took Raven coming out to the deck to fetch me so we could get off.

"So, what happened to the new boyfriend? Did you send him with his tail between his legs or did you just straight up kill him?" I asked her.

"Qrow, shut up." Her words were out of her mouth like the crack of a whip.

"Sheesh, okay, okay. You survived, didn't you?"

Raven's eyes fell upon Summer who looked between her and me. My sister was always quick to judge someone and it took a lot for a person to change her opinion. I'm not sugar coating that either. If she deemed you weak, you were weak. The only way you would get her to change her opinion was to do something close to impossible, and that was to beat her in combat.

The look she was giving Summer was long and calculating. I could see the subtle movement of her eyes as she looked her up and down. This is what she did to scope out a potential rival. Summer had her attention and it would be on her until Raven bested her in a fight.

Summer, meanwhile, was shuffling her feet at the somewhat uncomfortable silence.

"Um, hi!" She smiled. "I'm Summer. What's your name?"

Raven blinked and then cast a glance at me. She nodded off the ship, signaling for us to get going.

I glared back her and lightly flicked my finger towards Summer. She was being rude and could at least answer her question.

"Raven." She answered her. "That idiot beside you is my brother."

Summer smiled again.

"Aw, Chuckles isn't so bad. He's actually really nice!" She continued.

 _Oh no…_

Raven remained silent and looked from Summer and then back to me.

"Chuckles?" She parroted with a raised brow.

"So, how about we get off the ship?" I started walking.

"Chuckles?" Raven asked again.

I didn't have to look back to know there was a wicked smirk on my sister's face.

Like I said earlier, she doesn't have much of a sense of humor. Her style of humor is a mixture of dark and watching people suffer at their own expense. And now that Summer unwittingly gave her ammo against me, I would be paying the price with that nickname for as long as Raven wanted her entertainment.

It began the second we stepped off the ship. Summer was to my left and Raven to my right.

"Okay Chuckles, where are we supposed to go?" Raven asked.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"Not so funny now, are you?"

I sent her a glare and she returned it with one of her own.

I remembered from the acceptance letter that all the students were expected to meet at the dining hall for the introductory speech from the headmaster. With that in mind, I led the two of them down the path to the large doors to the school's entrance.

Summer had been trying to get Raven to talk to her, but had failed with each attempt. The poor girl was just trying to be friendly and my sister had to be the fuckin' ice cube to deny her any chance of starting a friendship. Her best bet would be to either get partnered up with her or beat her in a fight.

If I were being honest, though, I wanted the latter to happen. Raven needed someone else as a rival instead of defaulting for me. It did neither of us any favors. She had become too used to my fighting style and could now beat me on a good day. She needed someone she was unfamiliar with to challenge her, and I felt that Summer would be a good starting point.

I wasn't fond of the nickname Summer gave me, but I already had my eyes set on her to be my partner if I could make that a reality. We got along well when we were on the ship and she was really cute, too. It would make my next four years more fun, that's for sure.

We entered the dining hall and it was packed with students. There was very little room for our group to stand without being squished together. Thankfully, Summer was quick to point out an open spot midway through the room and I began to move in the direction of her finger. The closer we got, I noticed something. Summer seemed a little eager to get there, and I soon found out why.

Once we broke free from the crowd, my eyes fell on Taiyang. He turned towards us and nodded at me, but his face lit up even more when he saw Summer step forward.

"Hey, there you are!" He welcomed her hug. "I didn't see you on the ship."

"Because you were too busy chatting up the girls, you jerk!" She jabbed his chest with her finger, getting a playful wince from him.

"Heh, guilty."

I frowned just a bit at the interaction between them. If we did get a chance to choose our partners, this Taiyang guy already had a huge lead over me if they had been friends for a long time.

Raven's shoulder was touching mine with how close she was. She didn't like being in crowded spaces, much like me.

"Sounds like you got competition," she whispered.

"Maybe you can help me with that?" I retorted with a small smirk.

Raven blinked, but her eyes narrowed a bit. She was on to me.

Thankfully my reflexes won over hers. I already had my hand at the small of her back and with a guiding push, I sent her towards Taiyang. She stumbled to a stop between him and Summer.

Taiyang's face lit up again at seeing her. He was no doubt happy to get a second chance at trying to charm her, but Raven was having none of it. I held in a snort when I saw her stop him with a finger and then she turned her eyes back to me.

I wouldn't admit it, but that look she gave me made me feel very small. I was nothing but a little cockroach that needed to die. It did not take a genius to decipher the message she was sending me.

 _"When I get out of this, I'm going to kill you. Slowly."_

Taiyang tried to open his mouth again to get her attention, but she quickly shot him down again by holding up a hand. To his dismay and my sister's relief, a high pitched screech met our ears as a microphone came to life.

Our eyes turned in the direction of the noise and on stage there was a man. He was fairly tall and had messy grey hair. Both of his hands rested atop of a cane as his eyes scanned the sea of students before him.

"I'll… keep this brief." He pushed his glass up.

"Hey, is this that Ozpin guy you were telling me about?" Taiyang whispered to Summer.

"Shh!" She put a finger to her lips.

Wait, Summer knew this guy?

I shook my head and returned my focus to the headmaster.

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you finish, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose. Direction," said Ozpin.

Are all welcome speeches like this?

I'll tell you one thing, it doesn't sound welcoming to me. The way this guy talked alone was weird. Almost robotic, something that Raven could probably relate to and comprehend much faster than any of us there.

"You assume that knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take that first step."

Ozpin turned and began to walk away, but he sent one last look out towards the students. More specifically, in our direction. I could almost feel his eyes on me as he stared for a moment before continuing off the stage.

In his place, a somewhat stout looking man took to the microphone.

"Welcome to Beacon!" His enthusiastic voice echoed around the hall. "Now, all of you will spend the night here in the dining hall before making your way to the Emerald Forest tomorrow for the initiation. Get to know each other and start forging those bonds now!"

That was interesting. So, we got a distant headmaster and a jolly, semi fat guy as a teacher?

"Hey, Qrow, right?" Taiyang nudged me, his voice low to not draw the attention of Summer or Raven.

"Yeah. What's up?" I looked back.

"What do I have to do to make your sister talk to me?"

"You have to be worth her time for starters. Guys like you will not even be on her radar."

"Meaning?"

"Figure it out for yourself, okay? You're a Huntsman in training. Start using your head."

Taiyang let out a sigh before he grinned broadly. Even though Raven shot him down in flames he would persist with trying to get her attention. He was ballsy, I'd give him that.

* * *

The night went by quick. I ended up sleeping right by Summer. She kept talking until she lulled herself to sleep doing it.

I did not eat too much for breakfast. While it's important to have energy to start your day, it always seemed to backfire on me in some way. So I ate light. A couple of pieces of bacon and an apple would be more than enough to tie me over until the end of the initiation. If I ate anything more than that, it would not settle in my stomach and make my morning a living hell.

Once we finished breakfast we followed the stout professor, sorry, assistant professor. The man's name was Peter Port. The guy didn't look to be older than thirty, but with the way he talked and carried on, you'd never think he was in line to be a teacher at some point. On our walk to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest he recounted one heroic, crazy ass story after the next which I'm sure any good bullshitter would be able to spot from a mile away.

"And that's how you stop a Goliath and show your dominance! Just punch it right in its trunk and stare it in the eyes!" He proudly puffed out his chest.

"I think he'd have better luck if he sat on it," I whispered to Summer, getting a giggle form her.

"All right. Now, before we begin, I want all of you to look at these platforms here."

I looked at the row of tiles that stood out in the grass. There was one tile for each student participating in the initiation.

Getting the gist, I walked over to the closest one and stood on it. Raven took the one to my left and Summer took the one on my right. When everyone was standing on one of the platforms, Ozpin turned around and his eyes went up and down the row.

"For years all of you have trained to become warriors, and today everything you have learned will be evaluated here in the Emerald Forest," said Ozpin.

Professor Port cleared his throat to add on to the headmaster's words.

"Now, naturally all of you have heard rumors about the initiation and team placements. So, allow me to put an end to everyone's confusion."

This was the first time I truly paid any attention to Professor Port since he introduced himself. I was not the only one curious about it and I knew for a fact that Raven was just as curious as me.

"Each of you will be given teammates today. Your teammate will be your partner for the remainder of your time at Beacon, so it is imperative that you find someone you can work well with," continued Port.

I could feel Raven's eyes on me and snuck a glance to confirm my suspicion. When our gazes met, I saw the subtle nod from her.

 _Sorry, Sis. I got other plans on this one._

"That being said, the first person whom you make eye contact with after you land will be your partner for the next four years."

All right. So, I just had to find Summer before anyone else. Too easy.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die," said Ozpin.

Well, this would be a walk in the park. That's all Raven and I did when we were being trained, so hopefully that gave us the edge to chug through this with a breeze.

"All of you will be monitored for the duration of the event by our instructors, but we will not intervene. There are ruins at the northern end of the forest that have several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff here when they've retrieved them."

Ozpin sipped his coffee after finishing the goal of the initiation and scanned the students again. There was a mixture of excitement and anxiousness among them and only time would tell who would prevail to take the next step to becoming full-fledged Huntsmen.

"Are there any questions?" He asked.

When no one spoke up or rose a hand, a ghost of a smile spread across his lips.

"Good. Now, take your positions," he said.

 _Here we go._

I rolled my shoulders and felt them pop. My neck came next, and then my back when I gave a light twist. Had to be loosened up before we started.

I looked at Summer and gave her a nod and she smiled back. Hopefully she got the message and would try to find me.

A loud clunk came from my left and I turned my eyes to the source. One by one, each student was propelled into the air with incredible force and sent above the trees, deep into the forest. My turn was coming up slowly. If I could time it just right, I could maximize the distance on my jump and land far in the forest to cut down on time.

Next came Taiyang. He shot me a small nod and then a cocky smirk at Raven before getting sent into the air. Then it was Raven's turn. Unlike Taiyang, she was silent with being thrown into the sky. She turned around midair and sent me another look.

 _Not happening._

I felt the platform under me wind and bent my knees just a little bit. There was at least a two second delay after the wind and if I timed it just right…

Whoosh!

I pushed off with my feet just as the platform sprung up. My plan had worked and I was already soaring higher than the rest of the students. The cool burst of wind rustled my hair and graced my face as I flew. It was exhilarating.

Summer couldn't have been far behind me. I peered over my shoulder and found her sailing behind me, although she didn't get the same amount of altitude I did. There was no way she would be able to land near me.

Taking the chance, I brought my arms and legs in tight and dove headfirst towards the trees, slowly picking up speed. My mind ticked off second after second until it was time for me to execute my landing strategy.

Doing a quick look, I noticed I was alone and out of sight for the most part. Nobody would notice if I did it right now, right?

I closed my eyes and focused. I could feel my body growing smaller and smaller until it was lighter than before. My eyes snapped open as my Semblance was now in full gear and I spread my wings out and glided through the trees. When I was just a few feet off the ground, I flapped my wings and reverted back to normal. The landing was smooth, save for the short stumble, but I was still in one piece.

Let's see here…

Raven was to my southwest and I know she saw where I landed. There was no doubt in my mind she was hurrying towards me so we could be partners. Summer was to my southeast. My best chance to become partners with here was to…

"Lookout!"

Well, speak of the girl.

I looked up and saw Summer falling towards me from the tree tops. Her silver eyes were wide and she brought her arms up to shield her head.

Wham!

I've been hit by my fair share of Grimm before and it was something that took getting used to. But, I could say that this would be the first time I ended up being the shield to breaking someone's fall. When Summer collided with me, I felt all the air get sucked from my chest as I got blasted off my feet and landed on the ground with a hard thump.

Getting the strength to look up, I saw Summer's face buried in my chest and her hands had grabbed fistfuls of my shirt.

I wasn't sure how she was feeling, so I went with my usual approach to lighten the mood.

"Hey Motor Mouth." I smirked down at her.

Her response was to lightly pound my chest with her hand and she peered up at me from under her hood. Her eyes were narrowed in a glare, but it was hard to be intimidated by it with her small pout.

She sat up and lightly poked my chest and got a wince from me. Still hurt a bit.

Her pout turned into a sly smirk.

"That didn't hurt too much, did it?" She asked.

"I've had worse," I replied, propping myself up on my elbows.

"You sure, Chuckles? I think I did a number on you."

She got off me and held out a hand and I took it. With a surprising tug, she pulled me to my feet.

"If you call that punch a hit, you got a lot of work to do." I smirked at her.

"You jerk." She stuck her tongue out.

This had started off better than I hoped. Now that Summer was my partner, all we had to do was get the relic.

"All right. Let's go get that relic." I turned north and started walking.

"Right behind you, partner!" She chirped.

* * *

Winter scoffed and took another sip from her drink.

"How much of that story did you make up?" She asked me.

My lips fell in a frown and I met her eyes with a small glare. She was the one that wanted to hear my stories, so she was going to get every bit of the truth. At least the parts I could tell her, anyway.

"None of it." I swirled my whiskey around. "Despite what you think of me, Ice Queen, I can be quite the charmer with women."

She took another sip from her drink and rolled her eyes.

"I find it hard to believe. With the way you are now, I don't see how it was remotely possible when you were younger," she said.

I took a long drink from my glass and let out a cough. Sheesh, the last of the drink always has the worst kick.

"People change when they get older. Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's not true," I retorted.

She let out a surprised cough and slammed her glass down on the table.

"Like I'd ever be charmed by a drunk like you!" She spat.

I merely rose a brow and smirked at her again which only seemed to irritate her more.

"Who said I was referring to myself?" I challenged her.

Her eyes widened at the little trick and her face grew red once more. She was definitely not as quick with her wits or talk like she would have been if she were sober. And you can bet I was loving every second of one upping her.

"I hate you." She growled under her breath.

"Get in line. There's a lot of people who do," I replied with a light shrug.

She shook her head and folded her hands in front of her mouth. Her eyes were closed as she recuperated from the little banter. When she came to, her blue orbs shifted just a bit to look at me.

"What happened next?" She asked.

"You mean the initiation or the next story?" I pulled the new refill towards me.

"The next story."

I watched the ripples of my drink splash on the ice cubes. Was it time for another bad one, or should I stick with a more lighthearted one? There had to be a balance and I did give one of each already.

 _Screw it._

"I got another family story for you." I looked at her. "You still with me?"

Winter nodded and nursed her drink as she waited for the next memory.

* * *

 **And that's how the story will wrap up for the 2016 year. Like I said when I started it, this story will be updated when I feel I have made the chapter solid and believable. So the next one will come in due time. Thanks again for the support, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!**


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